Walking on cracked glass
by Shining Apocalypse
Summary: Weyard has been saved, 4 years have passed, things have changed. The gang are settling down, other than Isaac, who never told Ivan how he felt before he left for Contigo. And then the Wise One starts meddling again ... Isaac/Ivan mainly.


**Well, with the announcement of Golden Sun DS, I just HAD to write something. I've been on a manic GS buzz ever since I found out. I am so happy that it's actually ridiculous. Two of my huge obsessions are coming back to me and what can I say other than a freaking huge YAY!**

**There isn't enough Isaac/Ivan out there, so I decided to write an idea that has been floating around in my head for a while. It's my first GS fic, and my first slash (on here), so please be nice to me ^^ The opening bit starts a year or so after the gang save the world, then the next bit is later. You'll be able to tell from dialogue, unless I totally fail. Also, please don't mind my English spellings. If it has an extra 'u' or a 's' instead of a 'z' it's because I spell things the English way. Because I'm English.**

**Parings: Main is Isaac/Ivan, then there's sideline Garet/Mia, Felix/Piers and Jenna with the random Valean blacksmith (she moved on folks, she moved on). As of yet, Sheba has no one.**

**Warnings: Male on male relationships. As in the gay. And occasional bad language. And fluff more than anything else. Smut may appear later if anyone wants it, but otherwise, it won't because writing Isaac/Ivan naughtiness makes me feel strange in a bad way.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own nuffink other than what I own. Which is mostly nuffink.**

_There's no such thing as 'happily every after' ..._

"So ..."

"Yeah ..."

The two friends regarded each other, and the unspoken words hovered over them like heavy clouds. Both had so much to say, and neither knew how, or had the courage, to say it.

It was stupid really. After all they had shared, after all they had been through, they had both been struck dumb, overcome by a strange awkwardness that had never been part of their interactions before.

It was at times like this that Ivan wished he hadn't promised not to read the minds of his friends again. Of course, to do so would be rude, and kind of like cheating, but he had never wanted to know what another person was thinking more than in this singular highly uncomfortable moment.

"Will you come back?" asked Isaac. It wasn't what he had meant to say. The words had transmuted as they crept up his throat, turned into something else entirely. He felt almost ashamed of himself. He was a hero who had saved the world, trusted with great power and an even greater responsibility at the young age of seventeen, and yet he could not find the strength to speak the words that he really, truly wanted to say.

The smaller boy shrugged and forced a smile. "I'll try. Hama will probably keep us busy, and eh ... I'll have to see what Sheba wants. I won't be able to just leave her there if she doesn't want to come back." Ivan shifted nervously, refusing to meet the shining blue eyes that were watching him so solemnly. "I'll miss you all, but ... I feel I have to do this."

Isaac nodded, trying to appear understanding. That sad little smile was almost enough to break Ivan's heart, and he was very tempted to just throw away all his carefully laid out plans and stay. But no, he had decided to leave. It was just something that he had to do. He'd said his farewells to Master Hammet and Lady Layana, and Sheba had returned to Lalivero to say goodbye to her family, all the plans had been made and it was time to go. It was too late to back out now.

It would be strange to be leaving his friends after what had felt like a lifetime. Those two long years Ivan had spent by Isaac's side had been the most troubling and worrying time of his life, but also the happiest and most rewarding. There hadn't been a day since what was now known as 'The Vault Incident' that he hadn't seen Isaac. Isaac just being around had become an integral part of his daily life.

Of course, the others had almost always been there too. It was just that Ivan had felt the closest affinity towards Isaac out of them all, which was perhaps slightly strange considering they were of opposing elements. Sure, he would miss Mia's sweetness, the long in depth discussions he had shared with Felix and Piers, and the great amusement that Jenna and Garet rarely failed to provide, but it was Isaac and his quiet comforting presence that Ivan would miss the most.

And so it seemed that they had run out of things to say to each other, even though it was actually entirely the opposite. They shared a swift awkward embrace and exchanged swift awkward goodbyes. Violet met sapphire and all those words screamed out to be said, but they were forcibly squashed down and hidden away in some dark corner of their minds. Reluctantly, Ivan turned away and scurried off to join Sheba who had just engaged in a tearful goodbye with her favourite travelling companion Jenna.

Isaac joined his friends, who had all assembled to see the two Jupiter Adepts off. It was odd to think that two of their number were finally going to go their separate ways from the rest of them, and although there were smiles plastered on every face, it was with heavy hearts that they parted from the youngest of their group.

"You'll write all the time, yeah?" called Jenna, after Felix had managed to prise her away from Sheba. "And send messages and stuff, right?"

The two Jupiter Adepts nodded. "Of course we will Jenna. And we won't be gone forever, will we Ivan?"

"Of course not," said Ivan quietly. He couldn't bring himself to even look at his friends. These were the people with whom he had belonged, these were the people who had welcomed him and understood him, who hadn't been afraid. He had shared so much with them, he had grown to love each one of them in one way or another, and he was leaving them. His forced smile shrank and faded, and he turned away to leave without another word.

"Well, bye then," said Sheba, frowning slightly at Ivan's retreating back. She smiled and waved, and the group all waved back as she jogged after her serious male counterpart.

Isaac couldn't take it anymore. "Ivan!" he called, and ran after him. The young man paused, and half turned. "Yeah?"

And the words rushed up, wanting to come spilling out of his mouth, but they could not manifest themselves in the air. Isaac stood there like a fool, his lips parted, becoming increasingly aware of the stares of his companions.

Something snapped. Swiftly, he pulled Ivan tight to him, pressing the bewildered Jupiter Adept tight to his chest. Shaking slightly, Ivan's arms moved to reciprocate the gesture, and for one long moment they clung together, neither wanting to let the other go.

"Ivan?" Isaac murmured into the shorter man's hair.

"Yeah?"

"I ... Take care of yourself, won't you?" he said, standing back and pressing a shining blue stone into the young Jupiter Adept's protesting hand.

Ivan nodded, his throat inexplicably dry. His fingers closed on the smooth surface of the Teleport Lapis. "Yeah. You too."

...

"Did you see where he went?"

"To Aleph. Gods, he looks so depressed. D'ya reckon he's alright?"

"No. But he will be. Give him time."

"It's been almost three years already! How much more time does the idiot need?"

"It isn't easy for him, you know," Mia told her would-be-husband reproachfully.

"Yeah, well, you'd have figured he'd be over it by now," grumbled Garet, crossing his arms sulkily. "He's done nothing but sulk since Ivan left. The stupid sod needs to get out more and cheer the fuck up."

"Garet!" exclaimed Mia, clouting the Fire Adept around the head, her eyes wide and reproachful.

Garet sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "You know I don't mean it," he said apologetically. "Well, I do mean it, but not like that. I just want my best friend back, that's all."

"I know sweetheart. We all do. Did you talk to him again?"

"I tried, but he didn't listen. As usual," Garet growled, seriously wishing his childhood friend would listen to him for once. "But you know I fail at talking, I just ended up putting my foot in it. Again. Plus he rarely ever takes me seriously ..."

"Well at least he knows we still care enough to try," said Mia soothingly.

"Why wouldn't we care though? He's just being stupi-"

Garet was interrupted by a burbled cry from the corner of the room, which caused both adepts to smile. The newest edition to the Mercury Clan had just woken up.

The fat little baby began to laugh as Fizz, his eternal playmate/babysitter, started blowing bubbles for the young boy's entertainment.

Garet grinned, picked his son up and started gently bouncing his six-month old son Calder around, and didn't even swear when the child pulled at his hair. Parenthood, combined with much gentle and not-so-gentle scolding from Mia, had dampened Garet's once fiery temper. After huge amounts of practice, he had even trained himself not to drop everything handed to him, something that he was extremely proud of.

When he turned back, Mia's smile was pained.

"What's wrong?" he asked, confused. "Ah, stop it, Cal."

"It's just not fair, is it?" Mia said, taking the young Mercury Adept away from his favourite plaything (Dad's hair) and setting him down on the floor. "Poor Isaac ... We all get to be happy, and he's all alone ..."

"Isaac's only alone because he's made it that way," said Garet harshly. "He's been avoiding us ever since Jenna squeezed itout of him! He seems to think we all hate him, which is the stupidest thing ever. We all _knew_ before he told us anyway! And now he won't even get in contact with Ivan anymore! What's that gonna make the poor boy think?"

Mia sighed, her blue eyes filled with sadness. Things just hadn't been the same since the departure of the Jupiter Adepts. Ivan had been there from the start. He had become a little brother to Mia, essentially a bigger brother to Garet despite the fact Ivan was two years younger, and something so much more to Isaac. He had completed them. The other three felt similarly about Sheba. When they had all been together, the eight of them plus Kraden, they had been a seamless team (well, sort of seamless if you didn't count the many and varied arguments that were had, not to mention the sense of awkwardness that took a while to abate after what happened at the Jupiter Lighthouse), all four elements working together in harmony to achieve a common goal. With two of their number far away the remaining six felt somewhat incomplete.

Some members of the group had left for adventure, but none of them stayed away for a particularly prolonged period of time. Piers had gone to Lemuria, but had returned much quicker than expected. There was little left for him there other than an eternity of loneliness and never-ending bitching from the Senate, so he had opted to return to the Vale which he had helped to rebuild and live with Felix. Much to Felix and Piers' mortification, nobody had any doubt as to what that 'living' entailed, and poor old Felix had to endure huge amounts of teasing on the part of Jenna. But they were happy and that was what really mattered.

Shortly after Ivan and Sheba had left, Mia had gone home to Imil to once again take charge of the Lighthouse. It wasn't long before she too had felt the need to return to Vale, leaving the arctic town and Mercury Lighthouse in the care of Justin and Megan. Everybody had been out to visit those they had met in other towns at some point or another (and to celebrate Feizhi's wedding) but they had all returned to Vale in the end and settled there.

Even now, with no threat to Weyard particularly apparent, the adepts felt uncomfortable unless they were at least near each other. Even now, three years after the Jupiter adepts left the group, the six others still felt sort of lost without them.

"I'll try talking to Isaac again," said Mia softly, kneeling down to tousle Calder's soft blue hair. "He can't avoid us forever."

...

Gold. A mountain of gold, born from the power of an alchemical sun. A lone figure wandered the lush volcanic valley, bathed in the golden glow that seemed to emanate from what was once Mount Aleph.

How strange to think that this dazzling volcano was the place it all started. Alchemy had returned, the cycle was completed, and they were back at the the beginning again.

Isaac sighed, and lay down under a young tree. He could hear the rushing of the river nearby, and the calming sound of bird song. He was extremely pleased to hear that it actually _was _bird song instead of the cry of one of the many Psynergy-enhanced mutant-bird-monster things that still enjoyed randomly attacking anything that moved. It was all so ... perfect.

"**Here again, Isaac?**"

Well, not so perfect anymore.

"Hello, Wise One."

"**How is everyone?**"

"All good."

"**And how are you?**"

"Also good."

"**You are a terrible liar Isaac.**"

"Thank you."

Isaac surveyed the landscape before him. Green fields had sprung up on the fertile volcanic ground that used to be mountain, while huge hunks of gold ex-volcano stuck up out of the ground erratically. He thought of Sol Sanctum buried deep beneath the ground, the statues that would now be crushed, debilitated beyond recognition. He thought of Alex, and his failure in procuring Alchemy's might.

"You had planned everything, hadn't you? Right from the start …" said Isaac, looking up at the sky through the branches of the tree. "Everything. You knew we would go to the Sanctum, that Felix would be there. You knew we'd end up lighting the Lighthouses. You planned it all …"

"**Yes**," said the floating god that hovered beside him. "**But I would not have made you go against your will. I did not make your choices for you. I simply laid out the plan. You didn't have to follow it**," the big god paused, its single eye looking thoughtful and sad. "**Indeed, the plan did not work entirely. I had hoped that Alex would not reach Mount Aleph, but unfortunately that failed. And Karst and Agatio's attack on you in the Jupiter Lighthouse was most unfortunate. You were lucky Felix and the others saved you.**"

"Luck?"

"**Yes, luck. They arrived just in time, didn't they?"**

"I suppose so."

"**But it wasn't I who saved us all. It was your decisions, your choices that saved Weyard. I simply twisted the events to help you along a bit**."

"You tricked me."

"**We've had this conversation many times, Isaac. I did what I felt I had to do. It worked, didn't it?**"

"I guess so," said Isaac, sighing heavily and flopped back onto the soft grass, his hands behind his head. "So, got any other 'plans' brewing for us or are we free?"

"**I thought I'd let you live your own lives for a while. Unless …**"

"Oh no you don't, I am not going to search this place for the Stone of Sages. It'll be buried somewhere, _if _it formed, and that is where it will stay."

"**But how can the Valeans guard something if they do not know where is it?**"

"We guarded Sol Sanctum for centuries without knowing anything about it. I'm sure that they'll be perfectly happy to do the same again."

"**Don't you want another adventure?**"

"What, another chance to get frostbite, pass out from heat, become King of the Pirates and have to fight monsters every other minute? No thanks," scoffed Isaac, rubbing his eyes exhaustedly. "You know perfectly well that I don't want that."

"**Then what do you want?**"

"You know that as well. You also know I'll never have it."

"**Never say never.**"

"I just did. As did you. Twice."

"**You thought your father would never come back. Look what happened there.**"

"That was because of _you _though."

"**It wasn't my choice to save him. You have Saturos and Menardi to thank for that**."

"Yeah right."

"**Okay, it was mostly me.**"

"And _you _can't make him love me."

"**True, I can't. But ignoring him won't make him love you either."**

Isaac glared. "Oh shut up."

"**You're the one who's being ridiculous.**"

Isaac pointedly ignored the god, who sighed. **"Do try to cheer up Isaac. You're a hero. You deserve to be happy.**"

"Thanks, I guess."

"**You know, I've heard you can do wonders with that Stone …**"

"The answer is still no."

"**You're the rightful owner! You have the power of the Mars Star!**"

"Still no."

"**Oh go on. You know you're bored. It'll take your mind of you know who!**"

"Not changing my mind."

"**With that Stone, **_**you**_** could do anything! I just want it to be in safe hands.**"

"Has it actually been fully formed?"

"**Well no …**"

"And is there a chance of it being fully formed unless I somehow unlock that part of the Mars Start that's in me?"

"**No …"**

"Then the answer is most definitely a _no_, Wise One. It's better that it isn't made at all. And there is nothing you can do or say that will make me want to find that bloody stone or complete all that power or whatever and undoubtedly get attacked by Alchemy-hungry lunatics. Oh, and be forever stalked by Kraden."

The Wise One would have smiled if it had a mouth. "**Yet again, you prove to me that I have certainly made the right choice.**"

Isaac looked up at the god slowly. Then he sighed. "You were testing me _again_?"

"**Yes.**"

"Thanks for trusting me so much after I _saved the freaking world_!"

"**Don't mention it.**"

**To be continued ...**

**I love the Wise One. He amuses me to a huge level. In my eyes, he's a god with a sense of _humour_ dammit. Like when Alex is about to be sucked under the ground he's just like 'Oh look, you can't run away, I wonder who's fault that is? Gutted for you!'. I also like to give Isaac a bit of attitude, and to make him you know ... actually talk. He talks quite a lot in The Lost Age, and I always felt that the whole point of having silent main characters is that you fill in the random commentary for them. But then again, I'm strange.**

**Hope you liked it, and please review ^^ I'm mildly trying to be funny, is it working? Plus I'd like to know what people think of it in general.**


End file.
